The head of France's biggest film producer, Canal+, has announced that the company will no longer work with hundreds of cinema figures who signed a petition expressing concern over the growing influence of rightwing billionaire owner Vincent Bolloré. The open letter, published earlier this week to coincide with the opening of the Cannes film festival, was signed by more than 600 prominent figures, including actor-director Juliette Binoche, director and photographer Raymond Depardon, French-Iranian filmmaker Sepideh Farsi, and director Arthur Harari, co-writer of the Oscar-winning Anatomy of a Fall and director of The Unknown, premiering in competition at Cannes.
Petition Warns of 'Fascist Takeover'
The signatories argued that leaving French cinema in the hands of a far-right owner risks not only the standardization of films but a fascist takeover of the collective imagination. Bolloré, a conservative industrialist, commands a powerful media empire that includes Canal+, its in-house production arm StudioCanal (Europe's leading film and TV production and distribution group), the news channel CNews, radio station Europe 1, and the Sunday paper Le Journal du Dimanche. StudioCanal's recent releases include the Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black and Paddington in Peru.
Canal+ CEO Responds
Speaking in Cannes on Sunday, Canal+ chief executive Maxime Saada called the petition an injustice toward Canal+ teams committed to defending the channel's independence and diversity of choices. He stated: "I will no longer work with and I no longer want Canal to work with the people who signed that petition." The open letter specifically highlighted Canal+'s recent stake in UGC, the third-largest network of French cinemas, with plans for full ownership by 2028. The signatories warned that Bolloré would control the entire film production chain, from financing to distribution and release on big and small screens.
Broader Cultural Backlash
The controversy mirrors a similar upheaval in publishing. Last month, over 100 writers quit publisher Grasset in protest of Bolloré's control over its parent company, Hachette, stating they refuse to be hostages in an ideological war seeking authoritarianism in culture and media. At Cannes, the Canal+ logo was booed at several screenings, including the opening film The Electric Kiss. In a 2022 senate hearing, Bolloré denied political or ideological interventionism, claiming his media acquisitions were purely financial and aimed at promoting French soft power. After the authors' revolt, he dismissed the protesters as a tiny, elitist caste and described himself as a Christian democrat.
